


A Lovely Family Dinner

by E350tb



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Family Dinners, Gen, Mind Control, The Author Regrets Everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-20 01:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15522726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb
Summary: Steven has dinner with family.





	A Lovely Family Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> Just a normal, everyday dinner.
> 
> Thanks to [realfakedoors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/realfakedoors/pseuds/realfakedoors) for proofreading!

**A Lovely Family Dinner**

Steven Universe was a bit confused.

He had just been wrapping up band practice with Sadie and the Cool Kids when he’d gotten a strange message from Pearl. ‘Family dinner tonight’, it said - which was odd, as they’d never really done that before, and Pearl didn’t like eating. A second message, ‘Greg’s idea,’ calmed him down somewhat, convincing him that had hadn’t entered some kind of bizarre parallel universe, but he was still perplexed as he wandered back towards his house. What was the occasion? Did he forget his dad’s birthday or something?

He tapped a message to Connie as he strolled down the last stretch of beach towards the house.

_Just weird - every time we do this, it’s because I planned it._

_Yeah, that doesn’t sound like the Gems at all. Except maybe Amethyst._

_Probably Dad’s idea. Maybe I have another long-lost relative? :D_

_XD_

_Well, I’ll let you know what it is. I’ll send you a message if it’s bad or something._

_Got it. See you later._

He was just reaching the steps up to the house when he got a second message. He pursed his lips - it was Lapis.

_You seen Peridot?_

“That’s weird,” Steven muttered to himself.

_I thought she was at home with you?_

_I’m not home, I’m out. Peridot’s supposed to meet me here._

_I’m about to head inside - I’ll let you know if she’s at the Temple._

Steven sent her a smiley emoji before trudging up the steps. It was late - the moon was starting to appear in the east of the dark sea, bright and full, and as he reached the deck, Steven realised that the lights were out. That was odd - was it a surprise party or something?

He swallowed. Yes, surprise party. Definitely. No need to feel concerned.

Slowly, he opened the door. The room was dark - only the dim, silvery light of the moon illuminated the room. A single table had been set up in the middle of the kitchen, and behind it, Steven could just about make out the silhouette of his father. Slowly, he stepped into the room, tilting his head in confusion.

“Uh, dad?” he asked, “What’s…”

“Steven…”

Greg spoke up, his voice shaking, his tone urgent.

“Dad?” Steven repeated nervously.

“ _Run._ ”

The door suddenly slammed shut, and Steven just about jumped out of his skin. He turned, finding himself face-to-face with Pearl - she was smiling serenely, her eyes closed as she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Pearl?” Steven croaked.

Pearl opened her eyes - her irises were a shining white, glowing brilliantly in the darkness.

“ **Hello, Starlight.** ”

Steven’s eyes widened, his heartbeat quickening and his skin crawling. It couldn’t be her… it just… it just couldn’t…

“W-W-White Diamond…”

Without looking at the screen, Steven began to tap urgently on the phone - _WD HELP_. His thumb moved to where he thought the send button was, but just as he tapped it, he felt the device yanked from his fingers. He turned around; Amethyst held it up, her face set in the same parody of a smile as Pearl’s, and her eyes glowing the same colour.

“ **Now, now,** ” she said, “ **These primitive human communications devices are _so_ beneath us, my dear. I’ll make sure to get you a more suitable one when you get home.** ”

She clenched her fist, crushing the phone into pieces.

“L-let them go!” shouted Steven, “They’re not your puppets!”

“ **Ah, the idealism of youth.** ” Garnet stepped out of the shadows, walking over to the table and leaning over it. “ **Silly little Starlight, _all_ gems are mine.** ”

“ **Mine and _yours_ , in fact.**” Bismuth walked out from behind the kitchen counter, wearing that same grin.

“No… _no!_ ” Steven shouted, “I don’t own anyone!”

“ **Yes, yes, I’ve heard that one before,** ” said Peridot, emerging from the bathroom, “ **But I’m afraid it’s time to stop playing, Pink. It’s time to talk about our _glorious_ future.** ”

The gems gathered around the table and sat down, leaving the heads open for Steven and Greg. Garnet glanced at the human, patting the chair on her end - he swallowed and nervously sat down. Slowly, Steven did the same. It was not a cold evening, but he felt as though he were sitting in a freezer - the long oppressive shadows cast by the moon gave everything a sinister feel, particularly the gems, whose faces - and unsettling smiles- were lit by the strange lights in their eyes.

“So,” said Greg, scratching the back of his head, “Alien dictator, huh?”

“ **I would prefer to say benevolent divinity,** ” said Garnet evenly.

“...cool,” replied Greg, sweating slightly.

“What do you want from me, White Diamond?” asked Steven, “I… I can’t be Pink Diamond for you. I just can’t…”

“ **Oh, Starlight, I know it must be daunting for you,** ” interrupted Pearl, her tone a bone chilling parody of motherliness, “ **But it’s your destiny. You are one of the four pillars of perfection…** ”

“I’m not!” replied Steven, “ _Nobody_ is! Everybody makes mistakes…”

“ **Not Diamonds,** ” said Bismuth.

Garnet snorted.

“ **Well, not _good_ Diamonds, anyway,** ” continued Amethyst, “ **And you are a _good Diamond_ , aren’t you?**”

Steven found himself gritting his teeth.

“No,” he said firmly, “I’m not, and I _don’t want to be._ ”

“ **That’s just your youth talking,** ” said Peridot jovially, “ **You’ll see in time.** ”

“Uh, White Diamond?” Greg nervously spoke up, “I… I think you should let Steven do what he wants to do. I mean, if he’s a Diamond, h-h-he should be…”

Garnet put a hand on his shoulder, and Greg froze.

“ **You are an adorable specimen, Mr. Universe,** ” she said, “ **But you do _not_ know what you are talking about.** ”

She withdrew her hand after a condescending pat, and Greg shuddered, clutching the table to stop his hands from shaking.

“ **The future is coming, Pink,** ” said Pearl, “ **I’ve worked on it for eons, and the time finally approaches.** ”

“The time for what?” demanded Steven.

The grins grew wider.

“ **A _perfect_ Gem Race,** ” declared Bismuth.

Steven unconsciously pushed his chair backwards.

“ **I had wondered since time immemorial why our colonies failed,** ” continued Amethyst, “ **Why they always ended up being abandoned once the resources ran out. Why there was so much wastage, so much infighting, so much hideous, hideous _chaos_. Why things weren’t being ordered the way they were supposed to be.** ”

“ **And then I realised,** ” said Peridot, “ **Gemkind was beset with a terrible disease that blocked us from our destined perfection.** ”

“A… and what was that?” asked Steven, wiping sweat from his forehead.

“ **The disease of the _individual_ ,**” replied Bismuth.

Steven’s stomach churned.

“ **Look at this mess!** ” exclaimed Garnet, extending her arms, “ **Fusions! Runts! Loose Pearls! Good for the playtime of a wayward Diamond, but to create a lasting, powerful Empire! _Pathetic._ We need to be _better._** ”

“ **We need Strength,** ” said Amethyst.

“ **Loyalty,** ” said Bismuth.

“ **Sensibility,** ” said Peridot.

“ **Logic,** ” said Garnet.

“ ** _Obedience_ ,**” said Pearl.

“ **And then I realised,** ” continued Bismuth, “ **There are so very few perfect minds in this race - _ours_ , in fact. And so…**”

“ **...we must become _more_ ,**” said Peridot, “ **Their will must become…** ”

“ **... _our will_ ,**” said Garnet, “ **Their thoughts must become…** ”

“ **... _our thoughts_ ,**” said Pearl, “ **Their beings must become…** ”

“ ** _...our being._** ”

This, they said as one unit.

“Wait,” said Greg, “I think I saw this on a late night move once. You mean you’d become a… a _hive mind?_ ”

“ ** _Four_ hive minds,** ” corrected Bismuth, “ **White. Yellow. Blue. Pink. We would be more than Diamonds, we would be _truly_ celestial beings. And with our combined wisdom in the bodies of trillions, all of existence would serve Homeworld. Organics could be cleansed, off-colors eradicated, all worlds would be _ours_. All of existence would bend to the will of the Master Race - even time itself would not be able to stop us.** ”

“But why?” exclaimed Steven.

Pearl smiled sweetly, leaning over and putting a hand on Steven’s shoulder.

“ **All existence is made for us, Starlight,** ” she said, “ **It is the natural order. The _universe_ is calling our name.** ”

Greg swallowed loudly.

“But that… that can’t be _it!_ ” exclaimed Steven, “There’s gotta be something else! Like, Homeworld is dying, or there’s a war, or the resource shortage thing, or…”

“ **...a higher calling?** ” Pearl laughed. “ **Starlight, _we_ are the highest calling there is.** ”

Steven swallowed.

“I can’t… I thought…”

He took a deep breath and looked Pearl in the eye.

“I thought there was some big plan,” he said, “But there’s not. There never was. You’re just… _really selfish._ ”

He stood up, pushing his chair to the floor.

“White Diamond, I’m sorry you lost mom,” he said, “But Pink Diamond is _gone._  She’s never coming back, and I…”

“ **Of course you are, Starlight, you…** ”

“No! You listen to me!”

Steven’s voice echoed in the dark room.

“I am _not_ Pink Diamond,” he said firmly, “And I will _never_ join you.”

There was a long silence.

“ **Oh, Starlight,** ” said Pearl at last, as she and the other Gems stood up, “ **I think I’ve indulged you a little bit too much. I had wanted you to see things my way, but if I _must_ drag you home kicking and screaming…** ”

The Gems drew their weapons.

“ **... _I will,_** ” they all said.

The room fell silent again. You could have heard a pin drop, if not for the sound of rushing water outside.

Wait… _rushing water?_

Steven slowly turned around, just in time to see the massive wall of water slam into the house, blasting the doors and windows open and submerging the living room, floor to ceiling. He braced himself but felt nothing - opening his eyes, he found himself encased in a small bubble, around which the water flowed.

Suddenly, the ocean that engulfed his home was yanked backwards. His bubble was flung back out through the door and onto the sandy beach - the water receded quickly, after which the bubble popped unceremoniously.

He was kneeling on the beach, his father next to him - he seemed to have been saved by his own bubble. In front of them, the gems were sprawled on the sand, soaked from head to toe. He looked up, and couldn’t help but grin - Lapis Lazuli hovered overhead, arms outstretched as she returned the last of the water to the sea.

“Steven!”

Quite suddenly, Lion skidded to a halt next to him, and Connie jumped down from his back. She jumped down, sword drawn.

“Where’s White Diamond?” she demanded, “I…”

She was cut off by five completely identical laughs.

The Gems had climbed to their feet, and were standing in a row in front of the beach house. They moved in sync - even the tiniest fidget was echoed by all five forms.

“...she’s there,” said Steven, unable to keep his voice from shaking.

“ **Ah, the Lapis Lazuli,** ” they said as one, “ **Another errant Gem for my new collection.** ”

“No!” shouted Steven, “You stay out of her mind!”

“My mind?” asked Lapis, landing next to them, “Steven, what’re you talking about? Are they…”

The Gems held out their hand. Panicked, Steven gazed at Lapis, waiting for her eyes to suddenly turn white.

There was a long silence, but nothing happened.

“ **Curious,** ” White Diamond’s thralls said, “ ** _Very_ curious. It seems you’re a defective, Lazuli.** ”

“A… a _what?_ ” asked Lapis.

“ **Sad,** ” they said, “ **You’ll never get to experience the true perfection of Gemkind. And, of course, you’ll have to be shattered.** ”

“Perfection?” demanded Lapis, “I don’t care about _perfection!_ Get out of Peridot, get away from Steven, and _get off of my planet!_ ”

“If we have to bubble you, we will!” snapped Connie, although she didn’t sound very sure of that. Steven couldn’t blame her - even if they were mind controlled, poofing the Gems felt _wrong_ to him.

“ **I do not take orders from a Lapis Lazuli,** ” sniffed White Diamond, “ **As for you, Starlight, my patience is wearing thin. You may have one more reprieve to play with your things while I prepare the final stages of the plan, but after that, I’ll need you to come home. Your destiny awaits.** ”

They smiled once more.

“ **I’ll see you very soon,** ” they said, “ ** _I love you._** ”

There was a sudden, blinding flash of white light.

When Steven’s eyesight returned, he found himself staring at an empty patch of sand. The beach was silent, save for the sounds of crashing waves and the rapid beat of his heart. _Where were the Gems? Where was his family?_

Before he quite knew it, he found himself running, skidding to a halt at the footprints where the Gems had once been. He stared at them for a moment before his feet gave way and he fell to his knees.

“Steven?”

He felt a hand on his shoulder - a second later, it was followed by another, larger one. It took a moment for him to register that it was Connie and Greg.

“No, no no no no no, _you bring them back!_ ” he heard Lapis shout, “ _You hear me, White Diamond! You bring them BACK!_ ”

Slowly, Steven put rubbed his hand over one of Pearl’s footprints, watching numbly as his fingers rubbed it away.

“She took them,” he said blandly, “They’re… they’re _gone…_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> I lied. There wasn't actually any dinner at all.


End file.
